Our county has experienced economic growth beyond anyone’s imagination.

This type of growth has a direct impact on transportation patterns, infrastructure, housing, and the provision of community facilities and related services. As citizens of this county, we’re all aware of the issues and challenges we are facing.

In 2004, county leaders realized this need and developed a comprehensive plan. Within this plan is an action plan, which provides specific direction for developing regulations, guidelines, planning initiatives and programs that advances the vision of the comprehensive plan.

Development regulations in the plan are consistent with the goals, objectives and policies of the plan.

They call for a process to create specific area plans within the plan to help developers and builders seeking to implement the goals of the overall county plan. There have been many revisions to this plan over the past few years in order to offer incentives to developers that utilize the plan.

The incentive program offered within the plan will help stimulate developers economically, as well as help achieve the goals of the county, once the economy rebounds and takes a positive shift.

This doesn’t mean the comprehensive plan has stalled.

Actions have been taken by county and municipal leaders to move forward in other areas.

Joint planning resources have been shared to the cities within Shelby County.

Planning initiatives are still taking place in the form of historic preservation and green projects.

County and cities alike are currently inventorying historic resources which will help the planning of zoning and sub-division regulations.

Multiple green space projects in the way of parks and trails have been planned and implemented throughout Shelby County.

Rick Shepherd is a county commissioner.